Primary Documents - Erich Ludendorff on the Battle of Verdun, 21 February 1916

Often described as the
greatest battle of the war, casualties on both sides were immense.
German Army Chief of Staff
Erich von
Falkenhayn's stated intention was to "bleed France white" in the
latter's defence of Verdun.

Such virtually proved to be
the case - although the scale of German losses brought Falkenhayn much
criticism. Indeed the failure to capture Verdun ultimately resulted in
Falkenhayn's removal as Chief of Staff and
Paul von
Hindenburg's installation (together with Ludendorff).

Ludendorff's dim view of
the battle was perhaps inevitably coloured by the fact that its failure
brought Hindenburg and Ludendorff to power in Berlin. However both had
earlier argued bitterly with Falkenhayn for additional manpower and
resources to assist the effort on the Eastern Front; but the latter's
resolve to launch a concerted offensive at Verdun precluded the possibility
of additional resources in the east.

Click here
to read Falkenhayn's justification for the offensive.
Click here to
read Crown
Prince Wilhelm's summary; he was given the task by Falkenhayn of
overseeing the battle.
Click here
to read Wilhelm's summary of its abandonment.
Click here
to read von Hindenburg's decision to call off the offensive.
Click here to
read Joseph Joffre's
August 1916 summary of the battle.
Click here
to read British newspaper baron
Lord Northcliffe's despatch during the early
days of the battle.
Click here to read a French memoir of the German attack on Le Mort Homme
in May 1916.
Click here for a memoir of the struggle for Fort Douaumont the same
month.
Click
here for a memoir of the German assault upon Fort Vaux in June 1916.
Click here to read General Millerand's official account of the see-saw
fighting at Thiaumont in July and August 1916.
Click here
to read a semi-official German historian's account of the end of the battle.
Click here
to read General von Zwehl's memorandum issued immediately before the French
recapture of Forts Vaux and Douaumont.
Click here
to read Ludendorff's statement regarding the loss of Forts Vaux and
Douaumont.
Click here to read French General
Pierre Dubois's
view of the German approach at Verdun.
Click here to read a French
staff officer's account of the recapture of Fort Douaumont in October 1916.

Erich Ludendorff on the
Battle of Verdun

Verdun from the viewpoint
of general strategy was well chosen as the place for our attack; for Verdun
was a particularly threatening starting-point for a French counterassault.
It very seriously threatened our main line of railroad communication with
Germany.

This was disastrously
proved by the attack launched from there in the fall of 1918. Had we
been able to drive the French wholly from the east bank of the Meuse, our
victory would have been complete, as this would have materially strengthened
our position along the whole western front.

The first days of the
Verdun assault were very successful, made so by the brilliant qualities of
our men. The advantage, however, was insufficiently exploited and our
advance soon came to a standstill.

At the beginning of March
the world was still under the impression that the Germans had won a victory
at Verdun...

Verdun had exacted a very
great price in blood.

The position of our
attacking troops grew more and more unfavourable. The more ground they
gained, the deeper they plunged into the wilderness of shell-holes, and
apart from actual losses in action, they suffered heavy wastage merely
through having to stay in such a spot, not to mention the difficulty of
getting up supplies over a wide, desolate area.

The French enjoyed a great
advantage here, as the proximity of the fortress gave them a certain amount
of support.

Our attacks dragged on,
sapping our strength. The very men who had first fought so heroically
at Verdun were now terrified of this shell-ravaged region.

The command had not their
hearts in their work. The Crown Prince had very early declared himself
in favour of breaking off the attack. That offensive should have been
broken off immediately it assumed the character of a battle of attrition.